Cragside | National Trust National Trust Cragside house tucked up for the winter National Trust / Susie Important notice - Please be aware that the estate is now closed until 18 February 2017. Extraordinary Victorian house, gardens and woodland - the wonder of its age Stretch your legs With over 1000 acres to explore there's plenty of walking to enjoy at Cragside. From a gentle stroll through the Pinetum to a challenging hike through the heart of the estate, you’ll find a perfect walk to suit all abilities. Family adventures There are plenty of family adventures to be had at Cragside. Have fun with 50 things, explore the woodland, get lost in the Labyrinth, head out on a family walk, visit the Young Engineer’s zone and whizz down the slide in the Adventure Play Area! Explore the gardens Lord Armstrong was a landscape genius - Cragside is his imagination in physical form. Visit the Formal Gardens, Pinetum and Rock Garden and see how he experimented with plants, trees and water on a gigantic scale to create the gardens here at Cragside.

Join our team We've many roles to tempt you to join our team including; becoming a room guide or a member of our behind the scenes team. You can also become a learning assistant and help deliver our educational program or get active and help manage out vast landscape. Cragside Learning Children sitting on a tree stump beside the tree sculpture known as Douglas National Trust Images / Arnhel de Serra From an over-night school visit to a relaxing family holiday Cragside has it all, set in the beautiful surroundings of the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. Places nearby Birthplace of the world-famous railway engineer Give Limited car parking for campervans Free shuttle bus service Dogs welcome in all outdoor areas, on leads at all times Toilets located at the Visitor Centre, near to the House and Crozier car park ( near play area) Browse for gifts and treats in our Shop Locally sourced food and drink served in our tea-rooms Groups welcome - please contact us before you visit School groups welcome, please call 01669 622003 Family Baby changing and feeding facilities For anyone wishing to carry their children in the house, please use either a front carrying baby sling or a hip carrying infant seat.

We have a selection available for loan if required Children's adventure play area, labyrinth, trim trail for older children and adults Children's menu available Pocket money toys, books, games and sweets for sale in the shop Fun family events throughout the year Microwave and bottle warmer available for use in the tea-rooms Picnic areas Some challenging terrain and distances Mobility parking in main car park,120 yards from visitor centre Wheelchairs available to borrow in the house and grounds – please book in advance Assistance dogs welcome in all areas Level access to shop and tea-rooms Adapted toilets at Visitor Centre, House and Crozier car park (near to play area) Free shuttle bus service between main areas There is more information available on our homepage, take a look at our leaflet for disabled visitors Please contact us if you would like any more information Close Extraordinary Victorian house, gardens and woodland - the wonder of its age Enter the world of Lord Armstrong - Victorian inventor, innovator and landscape genius. Cragside house was truly a wonder of its age. Discover the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. It is crammed full of ingenious gadgets – most of them still working. The gardens are incredible.

One of the largest rock gardens in Europe leads down to the Iron Bridge, which in turn leads to the formal garden. Children will love our adventure play area and exploring Nelly's Labyrinth, a network of paths and tunnels cut out of a vast area of rhododendron forest. Telephone Rothbury, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE65 7PX By cycle Cycle route information By bus To nearby Rothbury, Arriva X14 bus from Newcastle Haymarket, Monday to Saturday. Spirit Buses Monday to Sundays. See websites for more details. Find a timetable Spirit Buses website: By train Morpeth Train Station 17 miles (27 km). By road on B6341, 15 miles north-west of Morpeth on Coldstream road (A697). Turn left on to B6341 at Moorhouse Crossroads, entrance 3 miles on left Parking: free, nine car parks throughout estate Cragside Admission free What is Gift Aid? Most of our places run the Gift Aid on Entry scheme at their admission points.

Under this scheme, if you're not a member you have the choice of two entry tickets: Gift Aid Admission or Standard admission If the place runs Gift Aid on Entry, we'll offer you the Gift Aid Admission prices. But it's entirely up to you which ticket you choose. If you want the Standard Admission instead, just let us know when you come to pay. Gift Aid Admission includes a 10 per cent or more voluntary donation. Gift Aid Admissions let us reclaim tax on the whole amount paid* — an extra 25 per cent — potentially a very significant boost to our places' funds. An extra £1 paid under the scheme can be worth over £3 to the National Trust as shown below: Payment of the additional percentage donation is entirely voluntary, so if you prefer to pay the standard admission please advise our reception staff at the till point. National Trust Properties, Northumberland, places to visit - Northumberland UK - Visit Alnwick Cragside House, Gardens & Estate Rothbury The National Trust property Cragside House was formerly the home of the famous inventor Lord William Armstrong 1810-1900 (of Vickers-Armstrong fame).

In 1878 Cragside was the first house in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity, powered by generators on the estate. The House is magnificent and beautiful, with a lived-in atmosphere, and is well worth a visit. The beautiful grounds and gardens around Cragside form a 1000-acre estate with over 40 miles of paths and roadway, lakes and streams, and boasts some of England's tallest trees. The scenery is ever changing and spectacular! See the website for further info. on this wonderful estate. Dunstanburgh Castle Near Craster This massive ruined castle in an impressive coastal setting is a magnificent ruin dominating a lonely stretch of Northumberland's beautiful coastline, Dunstanburgh must be reached on foot along paths following the rocky shore. Wallington Near Cambo Just 15 - 20 minutes drive from Cragside you can visit Wallington Hall. It boasts' a superb collection of dolls' houses. The house stands on the remnants of a former castle, the cellars of which are incorporated into the existing house. Wallington was last owned by the Trevelyan family and was left to the National Trust by Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan for the nation to enjoy.

The house is beautiful, and well furnished, with superb murals in the central hall. A walled garden half a mile from the house is well worth the walk, passing a picturesque lake and tree lined walkways. Opening times! See the Visitor Information website. Lindisfarne Castle Holy Island This romantic 16th-century miniature castle on Holy Island was transformed by Lutyens into an Edwardian country house. Perched atop a rocky crag and accessible over a causeway at low tide only, the castle presents an exciting and alluring aspect. Originally a Tudor fort, it was converted into a private house in 1903 by the young Edwin Lutyens. The small rooms are full of intimate decoration and design, with windows looking down upon the charming walled garden planned by Gertrude Jekyll. Note: Holy Island can only be reached by vehicle or on foot via a 3mile causeway, which is closed from 2 hours before high tide until 3 hours after.

See Safe crossing times Farne Islands Off the coast from Bamburgh One of Europe's most important seabird sanctuaries, the islands are home to more than 20 different species, including puffins, eider ducks and four species of tern. Many of the birds are extremely confiding and visitors can enjoy close views. There is also a large colony of seals. St Cuthbert died on Inner Farne in 687 and the chapel built in his memory can be visited. Hadrian's Wall & Housesteads Fort Near Hexham One of Rome's most northerly outposts, the Wall was built around AD 122 when the Roman Empire was at its height. It remains one of Britain's most impressive ruins. Housesteads Fort, one of sixteen permanent bases along the Wall, is one of the best-preserved and conjures an evocative picture of Roman military life. The Trust owns approx. 6 miles of the Wall, running west from Housesteads Fort to Cawfields Quarry, and over 1000ha (2471 acres) of farmland.

Access to the Wall and the public rights of way is from car parks operated by the Northumberland National Park Authority at Housesteads, Steel Rigg and Cawfields. Housesteads Fort is owned by the National Trust, and maintained and managed by English Heritage. George Stephenson's Birthplace Near Wylam Birthplace of the world famous railway engineer, this small stone tenement was built c.1760 to accommodate mining families. The furnishings reflect the year of Stephenson's birth here (1781), his whole family living in the one room. Allen Banks & Staward Gorge Near Hexham This wooded ravine of the River Allen is an extensive area of hill and river scenery with many miles of waymarked walks through ornamental and ancient woodland. On a high promontory within Staward Wood are the remains of a medieval pele tower.  Visitor Information Cherryburn Thomas Bewick (1753-1828), Northumberland's greatest artist, wood-engraver and naturalist, was born in the cottage here.

The nearby 19th-century farmhouse, the later home of the Bewick family, houses an exhibition on Bewick's life and work and a small shop selling books, gifts and prints from his original wood engravings. Wood engraving and printing demonstrations take place in the adjoining barn. There are splendid views over the Tyne valley. The south bank of the River Tyne, where Bewick spent much of his childhood, is a short walk away. Cragside CRAGSIDE NORTHUMBERLAND Cragside the house and its estate was the ancestral home of the Armstrong family. Lord Armstrong was an innovator who created his wealth from ordnance and heavy engineering industry. The engineering was concentrated on mechantile and hydraulics. Cragside the house was built over the period 1870 - 1885 including the many extensions, improvements and upgrading occuring during that period. The house and estate became the property of The National Trust in 1977 and was opened to the public for the first time in 1979. Cragside house is heated by two different types of central heating system.

Firstly, many of the rooms in the original part of the house (1863 - 1872) are heated by a warm air ventilation system which warmed that part of the building through a network of ducts, all of which appear to have been built into the structural fabric of the building. Two large rooms sited in the basement of the house are filled with banks of 4 inch cast iron heating pipes arranged in multiple rows, which acted as plenum heating chambers to warm and raise the temperature of the incoming cold fresh air before it entered the ventilation system. Pipe Bank No 1 Pipe Bank No 2 Most of the rooms heated by the warm air ventilation system are fitted with floor gratings arranged around the perimeter of the room. Other rooms have the gratings or grilles fitted in the floor outside the entrance door or in the skirtings. Secondly, the later built sections of the house (1872 - 1885) are heated by a low pressure wet heating system.

Rooms, Staircase, Landings and Corridors are heated by a variety of different shapes and sizes of Victorian style box-ended pipe coil heaters, and also "Princess" sectional pattern radiators manufactured by The Beeston Boiler Co. Unfortunately all the pipe coil heaters and radiators are enclosed in decorative timber enclosures with only the front screen sections being removable. This made photographing the heaters difficult as can be seen from the images shown later. No indication of the maker's names was found on any of the heaters, so there is a possibility that these cast iron heaters could have been cast and made in one of the many manufactories of Armstrong. One possible exception to this was the circular vertical pattern heater found in the Water Colour Gallery. This heater appears to be of a similar design to types made by Cannon or William Graham both of London. This is the first example of this circular pattern to be found in a National Trust property and must be considered a great rarity. Boiler Plant , serving the heating installation is of recent manufacture and therefore not shown, as it did not form part of the survey of the historical engineering services.

DETAILS OF PIPE COIL HEATERS AND RADIATORS Bottom of Main Staircase 5 tier 5 row pipe coil heater, with bottom fed cast iron flow & return pipes. The top of each pipe bank was fitted with an air vent pipe connected into a header pipe with a single vent outlet. First Floor Landing 4 tier treble row pipe coil heater with rectangular box-end headers. Right hand TBSE flow & return pipe connections. 8 Section vertical circular pattern heater Billiard Room 12 Section cast iron vertical pattern with diamond cross-sectional waterways. Radiator is floor standing type with decorative claw shaped feet. Gun Room Corridor 6 tier double row horizontal pipe coil heater with rectangular box-end headers. Right hand bottom flow & return pipe connections. KITCHEN Several interesting items of engineering were found in the ground floor Kitchen Electricity at Cragside The following description is an edited version of The National Trust leaflet which gives an overview of the history of the electricity supply at Cragside. Armstrong had a lifelong interest in electricity and combined this interest with hydraulics to create probably the very first hydroelectric power house to be installed, at Cragside circa.1868.

PHASE 1 A dam was built by Armstrong to provide stored water which was then fed by gravity into a header tank sited on the roof of the power house building. The hydraulic pump has a twin head arrangement which pumped the water up to a reservoir 200 feet above the house. This stored water was then fed by gravity into the house to be used for domestic purposes, the hydraulic lift, kitchen spit and laundry equipment. Also in the Power House building in 1878 Armstrong located a 6hp turbine which was used to drive a dynamo generating electricity for the newly installed carbon rod arc lamps lighting the Picture Gallery in the house. The dynamo was a Siemens series wound, bipolar horizontal pattern with a drum armature and single magnetic circuit. PHASE 2 Due to the increased demand for electricity the Burnfoot Power House was constructed in 1886 to house a Gilkes turbine and Crompton generator. 45 new lamps had been installed in the house, which were of the incandescent design type perfected by Joseph_Swan .

The turbine was powered from Nelly's Moss Lakes located approx 104 metres (340feet) above the Power House creating a pressure of 150 psi at the turbine. The electricity supply was taken from the generator on ceramic conductors and then routed up to the house by cable housed in a buried wooden conduit supported on trestles. The Power House needed to be manned at all times by a person aptly named 'caretaker of the electric light'. A telephone was provided to enable him to be in direct contact with the house. PHASE 3 Demand continued to increase in the house for electricity to such an extent that by 1895 two extensions to the Burnfoot Power House were added by Armstrong. These extensions comprised a Battery House and a Gas Engine House. A second generator was also added to the installation, a Thomas Parker dynamo installed by Drake & Gorham of London. To maintain power supplies at times of peak demand a set of batteries was also added and most probably they were connected to and charged directly by one of the generators.

During periods of dry weather the water supply from Nelly's Moss lakes became unreliable so it was considered necessary for a gas engine to be installed that could then be used to drive either or both generators. The gas engine was a 30-hp Tangye horizontal single cylinder pattern. The nearby town of Rothbury had a town's gas works founded by Armstrong, where the gas was piped to the estate and used to drive the engine. The 'caretaker of the electric light' was required to notify the Gas works before starting the gas engine. Cragside was connected to mains electricity in 1945. The following items are a selection of newspaper articles from the 1970's about the Cragside House and estate.

AUGUST 2004 Hydro-electric power returns to Cragside in Northumberland - BBC News Hydro-electric power returns to Cragside in Northumberland 10 April 2014 Image copyright Paul Kingston / NNP Image caption The 55ft Archimedean screw was lowered into place by crane Image copyright Paul Kingston / NNP Image caption Tumbleton lake had to be drained before the screw could be installed Image copyright Paul Kingston / NNP Image caption The screw will be visible to the public once installation is complete Image copyright Paul Kingston / NNP Image caption The galvanised turbine, weighing several tonnes, was made in Germany Image copyright John Millar Image caption The house was expanded in 1869 by architect Richard Norman Shaw Image copyright National Trust Images Image caption Cragside was built as a two-storey country lodge in 1863 Engineering skills are being used to recreate 19th Century technology at a historical Northumberland stately home. Cragside house was built in 1863 by engineer and inventor Lord William Armstrong and was known at the time as the "palace of the modern magician". Lakes on the estate were once used to generate hydro-electricity.

Now a project to install a modern version of the water-generated power scheme is nearing completion. A 55ft (17m) long Archimedean screw is being installed in the grounds, which, once working, will generate enough power to light the National Trust property. 'Ingenious mind' Image copyright National Trust/Derrick E Witty Image caption Lord Armstrong installed a hydro-electric generator at Cragside in 1878 It is being installed at the southern end of the estates lowest lake, Tumbleton. As water passes through the spiral blades, it will cause the screw to turn, harnessing the energy of falling water, which is then converted into electricity using a generator. The screw will be visible from the lakeside to allow people to get a better understanding of how the technology works. Andrew Sawyer, conservation officer at Cragside, said: "It will be a very visual demonstration of the way hydro power works. "Lord Armstrong was an exceptional man with an ingenious mind and the prospect of bringing his vision for Cragside into the 21st Century is a dream come true." In December, water levels in Tumbleton lake were lowered so the installation work could take place.

The first electricity from the project is expected to be generated within the next few months. The National Trust North East England You are here: Home » Explore » National Trust National Trust Allen Banks and Staward Gorge This extensive area of spectacular gorge and river scenery forms the largest area of ancient woodland in the county, with miles of waymarked walks to explore, red squirrels dormice, woodland birds and plants.Look out for the remains of a medieval pele tower and a reconstructed Victorian summerhouse. All sits within the North Pennines AONB. Cherryburn Thomas Bewick, Northumberland’s greatest artist, wood engraver and naturalist, was born in the cottage here in1753. The nearby 19th-century farmhouse, the later home of the Bewick family, houses an exhibition on his life. Occasional printing demonstrations take place in the adjoining barn. There are splendid views over the Tyne Valley. Cragside, Rothbury © National Trust Cragside Discover the world of Lord Armstrong – Victorian inventor, innovator andlandscape genius. Cragside house was a wonder of its age.

Built on a rocky crag, it is crammed full of ingenious gadgets and was the first house in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity. The gardens are incredible. One of the largest rock gardens in Europe leads down to the Iron Bridge, which in turn leads across to the formal garden. Children will love the adventure play area and exploring Nelly’s Labryrinth, a network of paths and tunnels cut out of a vast area of rhododendron forest. Farne Islands: In the North Sea, off the Northumberland Coast between Bamburgh and Seahouses, lie the Farne Islands . These rocky islands were once home to saints, soldiers and famous lighthouse keepers – this is the location of Victorian heroine Grace Darling’s stormy sea rescue – but are now a sanctuary for birds and seals. In summer there are more than 100,000 nesting pairs such as puffins and guillemots. The islands also boast one of Europe’s largest seal colonies. In the spring and summer months you can take a boat trip over from Seahouses and visit Inner Farne and Staple Islands.

Gibside chapel © National Trust Gibside Gibside is a Georgian ‘grand design’ on a spectacular scale; the vision of coal baron George Bowes, the Palladian chapel is an architectural masterpiece, the stable block is a vibrant learning and discovery centre, and the once grand hall is now a dramatic shell. Gibside is also a haven for wildlife with red kites often circling in the skies above. After centuries of decline, Gibside is now being restored for people and nature. Escape along the avenue for miles of tranquil walks and picnic spots or enjoy family adventures at the woodland playscape and challenge trail. Food also runs through Gibside’s veins, whether in the bustling walled garden, tea-rooms, local farm shop or monthly farmers’ market. Hadrian’s Wall & Housesteads Fort Running through an often wild landscape with vast panoramic views, the wall was one of the Roman Empire’s most northerly outposts. Built around AD122, it has 16 permanent bases, of which Housesteads Fort is one of the best preserved, conjuring up an evocative picture of Roman military life. The fort is owned by the National Trust and maintained and managed by English Heritage.

Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island © National Trust Lindisfarne Castle Dramatically perched on a rocky crag and accessible via a three-mile causeway at low tide only, this island castle presents an exciting and alluring aspect. Originally a Tudor fort, it was converted into a private house in 1903 by the young Edwin Lutyens. The small rooms are full of intimate decoration and design, with windows looking down over the charming walled garden planned by Gertrude Jekyll. The property also has several extremely well-preserved 19th-century lime kilns. Please check tide times before driving over to Holy Island and leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the mainland safely before the tide comes in. The National Trust flag flies only when the castle is open. Northumberland Coast The National Trust owns many miles of free to roam coast in Northumberland , including the grassy dunes of Druridge Bay where picnickers can take in the views of the sandy beach and sit among the wildflowers that pepper the ground, as well as the stretches around Craster and Embleton dominated by the spectacular ruin of Dunstanburgh Castle, and the picturesque village of Low Newton-by-the-Sea.

Seaton Delaval Hall Seaton Delaval Hall Seaton Delaval Hall , built between 1719 and 1732, is a great English baroque villa designed by Sir John Vanbrugh for Admiral George Delaval. It has formal gardens with colourful borders and is much more than an architectural masterpiece. For 900 years, the estate has been a stage for drama, intrigue and romance, while the surrounding landscape has fuelled industrial revolution. The hall has survived terrible fires, military occupation and potential ruin. It now provides an amazing space for arts, heritage and the community to come together. Wallington Dating from 1688, Wallington was home to many generations of the Blackett and Trevelyan families, who all left their mark. The result is an impressive, yet friendly, house with a magnificent interior and fine collections. Wallington © National Trust The remarkable Pre-Raphaelite central hall was decorated to look like an Italian courtyard and features a series of paintings of Northumbrian history by William Bell Scott. The formality of the house is offset by the tranquil beauty of the surrounding landscape – with lawns, lakes, parkland, woodland and red squirrels.

The beautiful walled garden, with its varied plant collection and charming conservatory, is an enchanting must-see. Visit the North Blog Walking in Northumberland Walking in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders The journey of a thousand miles may very well start with the first step, but where to take that first step in Northumberland and The Scottish Borders could pose something of a problem ... Read More » This is Northumberland on YouTube Featured Destination – Hadrian’s Wall Country Explore Hadrian’s Wall Northumberland This is a journey on the edge of empire, a World Heritage Site in rolling countryside and valleys dotted with stone villages. Find accommodation in Hadrian’s Wall Country History here is on an epic scale with a ... Read More » Downloadable Walks Download walking routes in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders Clennel Street © Keith Robeson/NNP Northumberland and the Scottish Borders are ... Read More » Categories Cragside – Home to Seven Million Trees and Shrubs | Gardening Jules Cragside – Home to Seven Million Trees and Shrubs / Julie We visited Cragside during a happy trip to Northumberland last year, its a jewel in the National Trust crown and the former Victorian home of Lord and Lady Armstrong.

He was a focused and driven industrialist, civil engineer and inventor, she was a talented botanist and socialite. Armstrong amassed his huge fortune through hydraulic inventions and as an arms manufacturer. At 53, he decided to build a country home in Northumberland and appointed the architect Richard Norman Shaw to design the house, he had the land cleared and using dynamite created a crag on which to build. Cragside Armstrong was also said to be a landscape genius and following the purchase of the barren Northumberland land destined to become Cragside, he designed, constructed and together with Lady Armstrong directed the planting of 7 million trees and shrubs in under 40 years. Initially employing 150 gardeners to assist them which tailed to 70 maintenance gardeners when the planting was completed. Tumbling down from the house, with a view of Debdon Burn is the largest man made rock garden in Europe, 3.5 acres in size. We scrambled down through the rocks towards the Burn. We were told had we visited in May or June the display of Rhododendrons and Azaleas on the Rock Garden is fantastic. The views along the Burn made up for it.

Debdon Burn Cragside stretches over 1,000 acres and has 40 miles of footpaths winding through woodland planted with native and exotic conifers – Noble Firs, Douglas Firs, Wellingtonias, Monkey Puzzle, Spanish Fir, Greek Fir and many more broadleaf trees. There are four artificial lakes, which were used in Armstrong’s time to generate hydro-electricity. The house was the first in the world to be lit by this method, using incandescent lamps first invented by the Sunderland born inventor Joseph Swan and by coincidence at the same time that Eddison was working on his invention too. (Later in 1883 the Eddison & Swan United Electric Light Company was formed in Newcastle). In 2014 Hydroelectricity was brought back to Cragside with the introduction of an Archimedes screw, the green energy project continues the work of Lord Armstrong. This modern hydro system will produce enough energy to light all 350 light bulbs in the house and will produce 12kw of electricity a year, providing Cragside with around 10 per cent of its electricity.

Man made Nelly Moss South Lake at Cragside Our visit coincided with the Lux exhibition, seven contemporary art installations looking a little out of place and met with mixed reactions but a really exciting dimension within this historic house. This exhibit was designed by Imogen Cloet, the 54 bulbs refer to the original domestic installation of Joseph Swan’s incandescent light bulbs at Cragside that were also lit by Hydropower. Illumine by Imogen Cloet part of the Lux exhibition Cragside also has a formal garden, reached through an optimistically signed gate. We walked across the famous Iron bridge, through the Autumn Colour walk, green of course when we visited in July and into the Formal Garden, the Temperate Fernery and Orchard Glass House. Temperate Fernery Cragside was recently featured on the television programme Glorious gardens presented by Christine Walkenden, the very short clip saved here shows the formal garden off beautifully with an overhead shot of the whole area, including their traditional carpet bedding display which takes 6 weeks for the gardeners to complete.

A lovely blog written by Holly, a National trust trainee gardener covering the last year at Cragside , is a wonderful behind the scenes insight, if you would like to discover more. Polite notice and optimistic sign Closing the gate, we headed off in the car across the rugged Northumbrian countryside to the Keilder Observatory to watch stars in the UK’s largest area of least light pollution. Nightime drizzle and low cloud put paid to that plan and not a star was seen but we shall try again on our next visit to Northumbria. Share this: What a wonderful example of Victoriana. Nice rocks, nice ferns, but begonias in pots? Himself has just enquired whether there were any gnomes? Sorry collapse in giggles. William George Armstrong, Baron Armstrong of Cragside (1810-1900) William George Armstrong, Baron Armstrong of Cragside (1810-1900) [ Victorian Web Home —> Science —> Technology —> Great Victorian Engineers ] illiam Armstrong was one of those Victorians whose great talents were matched by great energy.

He was a Northumbrian inventor, arms manufacturer, and shipping magnate, who also designed and built swing-bridges such as the one over the River Tyne at Newcastle . Amongst his other very active interests were politics, education, archaeology and landscaping. He was important too as a benefactor, since he made large donations and bequests to Newcastleï¿½s Royal Victoria Infirmary, natural history museum, and so on. Born in the Newcastle area to a Tyneside corn-merchant and politician, Armstrong was locally educated before continuing his legal training in London. Although he duly qualified as a solicitor and became a partner in a Newcastle firm in 1835, he had already developed a fascination with engineering, and now became particularly interested in hydraulics, although he first made his name in the field of electrostatic generation. In 1846 he became a fellow of the Royal Society. He then left the law to focus on the industrial application of his ideas, founding the Elswick Engine-Works in Newcastle in 1847.

The firm manufactured not only the hydraulically-powered cranes which he had invented in 1845, but also warehouse lifts and swing-bridges, and the hydraulic accumulators which he invented in 1850-51 for transmitting hydraulic power. Left: Plaque from the Armstrong Memorial in Newcastle by Hamo Thornycroft. Right: Iron and Coal by William Bell Scott. [Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.] With the Crimean War and a request from the government in 1854 to produce submarine mines, the firm next branched out into armaments. Armstrong designed his innovative gun with its ï¿½barrel ï¿½ built up of successive coils of wrought iron" (McGovern 66), superintended the royal gun factory at Woolwich from 1859 to1863, and established an ordnance factory next to his Tyneside engine works.

Hence the armaments shown in William Bell Scottï¿½s painting Iron and Coal at the nearby Northumberland estate of Wallington , to which the pacifist owner of the estate, Sir Walter Calverley Trevelyan, objected even in those days (Batchelor 143). According to Marshall J. Bastable, Armstrong himself had ï¿½entered the armaments business reluctantly," looking upon improved artillery as an ï¿½interesting engineering problem, not as a new business adventure" (20). Naturally, though, he promoted his own inventions, and they certainly brought him both money and recognition — he was knighted in 1859, when he became superintendent at Woolwich. Again, although he needed some persuasion to sell to foreign powers (Bastable 100), his subsequent role in supplying arms to both sides in the American Civil War, as well as to many other countries, put the arms industry on a new commercial footing. After ship-building was commenced in 1882, he sold his Tyneside-built warships to navies all over the world.

In particular, he filled many orders from Japan, for which he was honoured in 1895 as a Sacred Treasure of the Rising Sun. Left: William George Armstrong, Baron Armstrong of Cragside by Hamo Thornycroft. Left: Baron Armstrong's home, Cragside designed in part by R. Norman Shaw. [Click on the thumbnails for larger images.] In later years Armstrong and his wife Margaret lived at Cragside, near Rothbury, Northumberland. This had originally been built in 1864 as a simple two-storey sporting lodge by an unknown builder-architect. However, Armstrong made it his main residence after the Tyneside strike of 1871 took the shine off his reputation as an enlightened employer. The house was rebuilt as a full-scale country estate during the periods 1870-77 and 1883-85 by R. Norman Shaw , and during the remainder of his life Armstrong devoted himself to perfecting it inside and out. A Japanese room, surprising to come upon in this remote Northumbrian context, must have been a later project. However, Armstrong had not withdrawn from public life.

On the contrary, as a philanthropist with a special interest in education, he was instrumental in the evolution of the University of Newcastle, and after he became a peer in 1887 (the first engineer to be thus honoured) he took a keen interest in the Irish Question at the House of Lords. As President of the British Association in 1883, Armstrong had been prescient enough to foresee future developments like solar power; but he was also intrigued by the past: a trip to Egypt in 1872 had triggered an interest in archaeology, and in 1893 he bought and did much to restore Bamburgh Castle on the Northumbrian coast, a fortification which has a history going back to about 420 AD. The castle is still in the hands of the Armstrong family today, and houses the Armstrong Museum. Although the Armstrongs themselves were childless, Lord Armstrongï¿½s name was continued for many years by what was eventually the Vickers-Armstrong engineering conglomerate, and there is still an Armstrong Industrial Estate in Newcastle. Yet he is seldom mentioned in general studies of his period.

For example, Sally Mitchellï¿½s huge Encyclopedia of Victorian Britain (Garland, 1988), and Roger Ellisï¿½s compendious Whoï¿½s Who in Victorian Britain (Shepheard-Walwyn,1997), both ignore him. Perhaps this is because he had his greatest or at least most immediate impact in the north, where he is remembered primarily as the founder of the first ï¿½of the great firms which have done so much to further the fame and fortune of Tyneside" (Hearnshaw 118). As a philanthropist and politician as well, Armstrongï¿½s concerns tended to be local (the Irish problem would have exercised him because of the large number of Irish workers in Newcastle). Then there are the larger issues. Sir Walter Trevelyan was not the only one to deplore the arms industry or its results.

For example, in the very year in which Armstrong was working on his first rifled gun, the radical MP John Bright (another Northerner) was pleading impotently for ï¿½the sword to [be returned to] the scabbard" so that ï¿½torrents of blood" would cease to flow in the Crimea (qtd. in MacArthur 306). The long-term results of Armstrongï¿½s technological and commercial breakthroughs were to be even more contentious than the short-term ones. However one feels about these issues, Lord Armstrong should not be forgotten. He was a major player in Victorian industry, might and empire. As Stafford M. Linsley writes, ï¿½He bestrode much of the nineteenth century as a singular figure in science, industrial development, philanthropy and liberalism." Although his name is most likely to crop up in connection with munitions, he was by all accounts mild-mannered in himself — if somewhat reserved. Linsley adds pleasantly, ï¿½while he greatly profited from his life financially, he retained a love of the country and a personal simplicity." Sources Bastable, Marshall J.

Arms and the State: Sir William Armstrong and the Remaking of British Naval Power, 1845-1914. London: Ashgate, 2004. Batchelor, John. Lady Trevelyan and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. London: Chatto & Windus, 2006. "Cragside." National Trust Handbook for Members and Visitors, 2007. Hearnshaw, F.J.C. Newcastle-On-Tyne (in The Story of English Towns series). London: Sheldon Press, 1924. (Note: Hearnshaw, who wrote this book while Professor of History at Kingï¿½s College, London, was previously a Professor at the Armstrong College, Newcastle, which in 1963 amalgamated with Newcastleï¿½s College of Medicine to produce the University of Newcastle.) Linsley, Stafford M. ï¿½Armstrong, William George, Baron Armstrong." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Online ed. Viewed 14 July 2007. MacArthur, Brian, ed. The Penguin Book of Historic Speeches. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1996.

McGovern, Una. Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap, 7th ed. 2002. Victorian inventor's wonderland returns to hydro power for the first time since 1945 - Telegraph Environment Victorian inventor's wonderland returns to hydro power for the first time since 1945 Cragside House in Northumberland was the first place in the world to be lit by water power. Now, almost 70 years later, the National Trust is taking it back to its roots The first home in the world to be powered by Hydropower back in 1878 has returned to hydropower 136 years later Photo: Paul Kingston/NNP Follow When the great Victorian industrialist William Armstrong began to relinquish control of his empire, it was Cragside House in Northumberland where he experimented with the engines which had made his fortune. Starting in 1878, he re-routed the nearby stream into a Rube Goldberg machine of channels, turbines, wires and wooden flumes which followed the contours of the hillside – making his house the first in the world to run on hydro-electricity.

Now, for the first time in almost 70 years, it is once again lit by water power after the National Trust installed a piece of machinery even older than him. On Tuesday engineers switched on the 17-metre Archimedes screw which will power all 350 of the house’s lights, in theory for another 150 years. The screw, running on water flowing from a lake once used to power Lord Armstrong’s drinking pump, generates 12kw of electricity – around 10 per cent of the house’s needs. Related Articles Biomass power plant plans go up in smoke 06 Mar 2014 That's not enough for the fridges, heaters, computers and dehumimdifiers that keep the stately home running, but it's more than sufficient for the energy-efficient LEDs which now light its halls. A new Archimedes screw has been switched on at Cragside in Northumberland (NNP) The project is part of a long-term green drive by the Trust, which wants to halve its fossil fuel use by 2020 and reduce its energy bill by an estimated £4m.

Robin Wright, the engineer who looks after Cragside’s ancient machines, said: “When Armstrong originally started his hydro schemes, he was using arc lights by [lightbulb magnate] Joseph Swan, which were very smelly and pretty obnoxious. “The Archimedes screw is a different ball game altogether, at least in the way we’re using it. We felt it was justified because Armstrong was a great innovator, and anything new, he liked to be in on it. “He was saying even then that we should be looking at renewable energy, that it was for later generations to look at wind power and solar power. So he was pretty far ahead of his time. “If Armstrong had lived today I am pretty sure he’d have done what we’ve done now and put a screw in.” Born in Newcastle upon Tyne to a quayside corn merchant, William Armstrong made his name by harnessing water to power hydraulic cranes, dock gates, and other equipment. In 1859 he was created a Knight Bachelor for voluntarily surrendering his patent for an advanced artillery gun. By 1887 he had been raised to the peerage as the 1st Baron Armstrong.

(NNP) Cragside was built as his country retreat, and its five lakes were made to order as what Mr Wright, who has worked at Cragside for 14 years, called “fuel tanks for Armstrong’s toys.” But hydro-generation stopped in 1945 when the house was connected to the national grid after spending the war as an army headquarters. Andrew Sawyer, property curator at Cragside, said: “We wanted the Archimedes screw to be a visual feature in the landscape, with people being able to see water turned into light. It is a very visual demonstration of the way hydro power works, an almost sculptural sight in the landscape. “Lord Armstrong had his turbine and the latest in light bulb technology, and now we have our turbine and the latest LED lights. We expect the system to be in place until the next development in turbines, perhaps in another 150 years’ time.” The Trust now plans to add more hydro-electric machinery, starting with a conversion of Lord Armstrong’s original generator.

Question: Which National Trust property in Northumberland was the home of inventor and engineer William Armstrong?
Answer: CRAGSIDE